Young Adults

'Why shouldn't we be detectives too?' When Dick and Dorothea arrive in the Norfolk Broads all set for a blissful summer on the river, they find their friends the Death and Glories in a very bad situation. Accused of setting boats adrift, sabotage and theft, the boys are under suspicion by everyone on the river. And in the meantime, the real culprits are still at large. There's no choice but to form a crime-busting team: The Big Six. As the evidence stacks against them, can they solve the mystery and trap the real criminals? Includes exclusive material: In 'The Backstory' find out about birds, boats and fish and put your own detective skills to the test! Vintage Children's Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover ti

In this collection of wonderful stories, which range between fantasy, humour, science fiction and a sprinkling of horror, the reader will relish the range and skill of Neil Gaiman's writing. Be prepared to laugh at the detective story about Humpty Dumpty's demise, spooked by the sinister jack-in-the-box who haunts the lives of the children who own it, and intrigued by the boy who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard in this collection of bite-sized narrative pleasures.

Dangerously close to becoming a vampire, Manolito De La Cruz has been called back to his Carpathian homeland ? and has unexpectedly caught the scent of his destined lifemate, MaryAnn Delaney. MaryAnn is human and well aware of the aggressive instincts of Carpathian males. A counsellor for battered women, MaryAnn has no room in her life for someone like Manolito. But when she goes to South America to offer guidance to a young woman, she has no idea of the trap awaiting her. For she's been lured there by Manolito, who has seductive plans for the irresistible human female. Once there, she'll be his. Once his, she'll never be released. She is his dark possession.

Shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards Shortlisted for the Cilip Carnegie Medal 2008 'I'd been kicked out of two boarding schools and the last thing I wanted was to be here, on the East Anglian coast, in a third. But without St. Oswald's, I would not have discovered the fisherman's hut with its roaring fire, its striped blankets, its sea monster stew. Without St. Oswald's, I would not have met the boy with the beautiful eyes, the flickering half-smile, and no past. Without St. Oswald's, I would not have met Finn. And without Finn, there would be no story. Shall we begin?'

It's history with the nasty bits left in! Want to know how to play gruesome games like Twisting the Cow? What the Scots used to do with burnt pigeon droppings? Whether you're glaikit, douce or peelie-wally? Find out the truth about William Wallace, the disgusting details of sick Scottish torture techniques, and how to terrify a tourist with gory Scottish ghost stories.

It's history with the nasty bits left in! Want to know: Which monk tried to pinch the devil's nose with a pair of tongs? Why some people in the Middle Ages ate dove droppings? Which English king was accused of being a werewolf? Terry Deary reveals the awful truth behind the rebellions, riots and rumpuses that have made England what it is today (whatever that is). From the cruel Celts right up to the terrible 20th century it's a tale that will make you quake. Pages: 192

It's winter break at St Vladimir's, and a massive Strigoi vampire attack has put the school on high alert. This year's trip away from the academy to the wintery peaks of Idaho has suddenly become mandatory. But Rose's troubles seem to follow her wherever she goes - dealing with the pain of knowing that her relationship with her tutor Dimitri can never be, things get even more complicated when one her closest friends admits his feelings for her. The glittering winter landscape may create the illusion of safety but Rose - and her heart - are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

Dr. John Dee and Niccolo Machiavelli are after Nicholas Flamel and the secret to eternal life - Josh and Sophie Newman are the world's only hope. pages 455 California:In the hands of Dr. John Dee, the book of Abraham the Mage could mean the destruction of the world as we know it . . . and Dee is two pages away from the knowledge that would bring the Dark Elders into ultimate power. His only obstacle? Josh and Sophie Newman, 8,000 miles away. Paris: After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris. Only Nicholas's homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenelle is still locked up in Alcatraz, Paris is burning, and Niccolo Machiavelli is after them. Time is running out for Nicholas and Perenelle, because every day spent without the book they age one year. For Flamel, th

St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

Floss's parents split up when she was younger and she now divides up her week, spending five days with her mum, her mum's new boyfriend and her new baby half-brother. The other two days Floss spends with her dad, helping him to run his greasy spoon cafe. But then their simple arrangement is thrown into disarray when Floss's mum decides to move to Australia for six months. Floss has to choose whether to go with her or stay with her dad. She picks her dad and they muddle along happily together, surviving on chip butties and enjoying visits to the local funfair. But then disaster strikes, Dad's money troubles catch up with him and they have to move out of the cafe. They're homeless - but can their new fairground friends help out? This is another gripping and emotionally involving slice of

'Rich or poor, we will keep together and be happy in one another' Christmas won't be the same this year for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as their father is away fighting in the Civil War, and the family has fallen on hard times. But though they may be poor, life for the four March sisters is rich with colour, as they play games, put on wild theatricals, make new friends, argue, grapple with their vices, learn from their mistakes, nurse each other through sickness and disappointments, and get into all sorts of trouble. BACKSTORY: Learn all about the author's life and how it inspired her famous story, and find out which of the March sisters you most resemble!

Things are looking up for Lizzie Nichols. She loves her career, and the love of her life, Jean-Luc, has proposed. Life’s become a dizzying whirl of wedding gown fittings as Lizzie prepares for her dream wedding in the south of France.

But the dream soon becomes a nightmare as the best man, with whom Lizzie might once accidentally have slept - no, really, just slept - announces his lack of support for the couple; Lizzie’s Midwestern family can’t understand why she doesn’t want to have her wedding in the family backyard; and her future French in-laws seem to be luring the groom away from medical school and into investment banking.

Is Lizzie really ready to embrace her new role as wife and mistress of Chateau Mirac? Or is she destined to spend the rest of